herself filled with a moist ache as her body prepared to fully accept him, her limbs trembling
expectantly.
She desperately drew air into her ragged lungs as Lucas’s mouth left hers to travel the
length of her throat, knowing another kind of desperation as that moist mouth claimed the
aching tip of her other breast, one hand moving up automatically to thread her fingers through
the darkness of his hair as she held him against her, the suckling pressure against her breast
deepening the ache between her thighs.
Lucas had gone way beyond any caresses Barry Robbins might have attempted, but
Christi didn’t want to stop him; she wanted it all, wanted this ache taken away, replaced by
the fulfilment she hadalways known only one man could give her. This man.
The gentle curve of her breast thrust forward moistly as Lucas’s mouth left the
creamy peak to travel slowly across the silky flesh.
It wasn’t until she felt Lucas’s fingers deftly re-buttoning her nightshirt that Christi realised his
kiss was no longer passionate but soothing, lacking the fire that seconds ago had pulled them
both towards the edge of oblivion.
Her body once again covered by blue silk, Lucas raised tender hands to smooth back the
dark swathe of her hair from her flushed face. ‘And you knew from the way Robbins touched
you that he wasn’t the man for you?’ he prompted huskily.
‘Yes,’ she breathed shakily, waiting for his obvious conclusion after her response to him.
Waiting. And waiting.
She was still waiting, minutes later, when Lucas had wished her a gentle goodnight and
quietly left to return to his own apartment!
CHAPTER FOUR
CHRISTI had a job. Possibly not the sort of job she would have chosen for herself, given
a choice. But the screen test she had had at the beginning of the week had paid off—she was
now the glamour in an advertisement for a new liqueur the company intended televising in time
for Christmas.
It was a job for a model, of course, although some people said she had the height
and looks of a model, anyway, and there was some acting involved, according to the
director. And it would mean her face would be seen by millions all over the country,
possibly the world, if they chose to syndicate it, as they were doing with so many advertisements
nowadays.
They were going to film four different adverts, starting next month, which was only a
couple of weeks away, after all. Apparently the company had been searching for just the right
girl for months now; it had just been a lucky chance that her agent had sent her along to
them. A lucky chance for all of them. At least now she could encourage Dizzy and Zach to
take up the opportunity in America, while being able to assure them that she was working
and would be fine during their absence.
Ordinarily, she would have shared something like this with Lucas, would have gone over to
hisapartment as soon as he had got in from work and taken him out for a celebratory dinner.
But nothing was ordinary between herself and Lucas any more. For one thing, she
no longer understood him, let alone what was going on between them.
They had lived next door to each other for four years four years—and not once had
Lucas shown more than a brotherly interest in her life. In the last four days, she had been in his
arms twice, and both times he could have made love to her with no argument from her. And his
response to her certainly hadn’t been anything but that of a lover.
But the first time he had kissed her Lucas had been demonstrating how a man
should kiss a woman he desired, and last night he had been pretending he was another man
making love to her. Where things stood between herself and Lucas she had no idea! However,
if the last four days hadn’t happened, Lucas was the person she would have wanted to
celebrate with, and if he could face her as if the other night hadn ’t happened she,
supposedly the trained actress of the two of them, could surely face him as if last night hadn’t
happened! Even if she, and her body, could remember every kiss, every caress...
Knowing that Fridays were always especially busy for Lucas, working later than usual before
the office closed down for the weekend, Christi was aware that he rarely, if ever, made a date
for that evening, so he should be free later on to help her celebrate.
Booking a table at their favourite restaurant should be an easy matter; in the
past, she had always just had to mention Lucas’s name and the table was arranged as if
by magic. The management must wonder at her appearance every few months or so, after the
beauties who usually accompanied him for a few weeks, before disappearing, never to be
seen with him again! She spoke to Simon, the maître d’, when she got through to the restaurant,
mentioning that the table would be for Lucas Kingsley.
‘But Mr Kingsley already has a reservation for nine-thirty,’ he assured her.
Christi frowned. ‘Are you sure?’ What a silly question! If Simon said Lucas had a
reservation, then that was exactly what he had; Simon was so good at his job, the restaurant
ran like a well-oiled machine.
‘Very sure, madam.’ There was only a slight frosting to the confirmation.
Lucas already had a date for tonight, after all. ‘How silly of me,’ she said in a hollow
voice. ‘There must have been some confusion over who was to book the table,’ she excused
lamely, hoping this man didn’t choose to mention the supposed ‘mix up’ to Lucas, or his
partner for the evening, when they arrived there later!
‘Yes, madam,’ Simon returned politely.
Christi replaced the receiver slowly, a dejected droop to her shoulders. Lucas must be
seeing Michelle tonight, after all. So much for the relationship coming to an end! It was only
on specialoccasions, and for special women, that Lucas broke his rule about keeping Friday
evenings free to relax.
She looked down at the petrol-blue dress she wore, a silky shimmer of material that
clung alluringly to her curved body, a perfect foil for her dark hair. She felt like Cinderella in
reverse; all dressed up and nowhere to go! She was still debating whether to change and
spend the evening quietly at home—if it could be called quiet when the cats and Henry seemed
to be going through one of their squabbling nights!—or whether to call up a couple of friends and do
her celebrating with them, when she heard Lucas outside in the corridor.
It wouldn’t hurt just to pop over for a few minutes to tell him about the job, now
would it? Why was she trying to talk herself into it when she knew it was what she really wanted to
do? Her bright smile of greeting died on her lips as the door to Lucas’s apartment was opened by
none, other than—Marsha Kingsley! Christi stared at her in some disbelief. Visiting Lucas once
in a week to talk about the welfare of their children seemed perfectly natural to her, but for
the other woman to be here twice...
A slow smile spread over Marsha’s mocking features, her eyes appearing catlike in their
pleasure. ‘Well, well!’ She looked Christi up and down speculatively. ‘Little girl going out to play, is
she?’
If this woman had been anyone other than Lucas’s ex-wife, Christi would have
been able to handle the sarcasm, but it was because Marsha had once been married to Lucas, had
known him more intimately for four years than any other person, that Christi at once felt at a
disadvantage whenever she met her. And, of course, she was at a disadvantage; Lucas had once
loved this woman enough to marry her.
‘I’m going out later, yes,’ she answered abruptly. ‘Is ‘
‘With the man from the other evening?’ Marsha drawled. ‘Dick something-or-other?’
‘Crosby,’ she supplied tersely. ‘And no, it isn’t. Is Lucas—’
‘At home?’ the other woman finished softly. ‘But, of course. He’s just taking a
shower,’ she murmured throatily. ‘Your men may have matured slightly, but you obviously
haven’t—not enough to keep them in terested, anyway , ’ sh e adde d tauntingly.
Christi drew in an angry breath, hating this woman’s derision, furiously angry at
Lucas’s easy familiarity of taking a shower with his ex-wife in his apartment. Just what was
going on? ‘Experience may count for something,’ she snapped. ‘But experience is something I’ll
attain. Youth is something you’ll never see again!’
She hadn’t meant to say that, bitchiness had never been one of her weaknesses. But from
the furious glitter in Marsha’s suddenly venomous eyes she knew she had surpassed herself at
her first attempt! She gave a weary sigh. ‘I didn’t come here to fight with you
‘Then why did you come?’ Marsha challenged harshly. ‘To try and convince Lucas
you’re all grown up at last?’ she scorned. ‘Don’t look so stricken,’ she taunted as Christi
paled. ‘I guessed from the beginning that you imagined yourself in love with Lucas. But
you’re a child to him, you always will be.’ She gave a derisive laugh. ‘You could dance
naked on a table-top and he would probably just offer you his jacket so that you didn’t catch
cold!’
It wasn’t true ... yet, wasn’t it the same thing, but put in a different way, that she had
been telling herself for years? Even after Tuesday and Thursday nights? But she already knew that